Cape Coral Council to decide Monday on controversial The Golf Club property

There are many issues facing Cape Coral as it continues to evolve in Southwest Florida. One of the issues is growth and development and in particular what can be done with the land formerly known as The Golf Club.
Mark H. Bickel/news-press.com

Old golf course property remains focus of controversy on whether it should be developed or remain as green space.(Photo: File)

Cape Coral City Council could pave the way for a 600-home building blitz if it overrules a zoning board recommendation and approves a land-use change at Monday's meeting.

Five of the seven council members would have to approve a request to allow the homes over the protests of Save Our Recreation and others, which hope to conserve the 175-acre property in the southeast quadrant of the city.

The site is the home to the abandoned golf course known as The Golf Club.

Richard Leon, who represents Ward 4 where the land is located, has said he understands the concerns of residents, but the regulations and laws force his hand to vote for the land-use change.

Save Our Recreation, which wants the property to remain as green space, plans a presentation from an attorney and experts, including former Cape Coral mayor Joe Mazurkiewicz, who will address the land-use implications.

Barth Wolf is president of Save Our Recreation.(Photo: Special to The News-Press)

He disputes D.R. Horton's plan, saying Jonathon Pentecost, a regional president for D.R. Horton, understates the number of homes in its application. The application allows as many as 771 single-family units on the property.

With 11,000 people supporting the Save Our Recreation petition against the land-use change, he said they need to seize the opportunity to keep the land.

"Why take the one few one big (areas) of tract land and cut it up and subdivide it again?" he said. The group formed in 2016.

Thursday, D.R. Horton announced it would give up to 11.5 acres near the southern boundary of the property to the city for a park.

The property is in the southeast quadrant of the city, which as of the last census in 2010, contains 42 percent of the population.

Cape Coral is undergoing rapid growth, with about 175,000 residents, and is expected to grow to 400,000 in the coming decades.

Affordable housing is identified as a key issue facing the community.

Pentecost said the homes will cost between $250,000 and $300,000.

"I’m a private company that operates for a profit," he said at a meeting with The News-Press editorial board this month. "I build 1,500 houses a year. This is a great opportunity."

He said the company will likely walk away from the deal if the council denies the permit.

"When the council says 'no,' this deal is dead for me," Pentecost said.

In June, the Planning and Zoning Commission voted 5-2 to recommend denying the petition to change the future land use of the old golf course from parks and recreation to single-family residential.

The council can uphold the recommendation or vote to approve the change.

If you go

What: The Cape Coral City Council is expected to vote on a proposed land-use change that would greenlight a plan to sell the former The Club of Cape Coral golf course.